Essentials of UI Design XXVII: Using Information Architecture (IA) to Enhance UX Design

All digital products feature information architecture (IA). In tandem with user interface (UI) design and user experience (UX) design, IA enables engaging digital experiences for users. Considering the many roles available in the UX industry, this article discusses the role of information architecture in effectively presenting your digital product to the user.

Information Architecture 101

Information architecture comprises the ways in which you can organize and present your product’s content and information. The objective behind information architecture is to present a product’s content in an easy-to-understand manner, enabling intuitive navigation.

For UX design, IA provides the blueprint for user experience. To determine a smooth and efficient the user experience will be, you may apply content grouping, logical navigation components, and clear labels.

However, IA is wholly responsible for the clarity and intuitiveness of a visual design. It also determines the placement of navigational elements such as tabs and menus.

Both UI and UX design requirements make IA a necessity in wireframes and prototypes. This matters as a proper structure provides a way for users to interact with a product.

How Information Architecture Impacts UX Design

An in-depth understanding of IA is essential to understand how it impacts UX design. Here are some of the ways:

1 – Improved usability

Usability involves creating digital products that users will find easy to use. The objective is to help the user achieve their goals effectively and efficiently.

IA improves usability, utilizing clear labels and navigation utilities to help the user easily access desired content.

When users can find what they need to complete their goals without ambiguity, the product’s usability dramatically improves. This enhances the overall user experience design.

2 – Better efficiency

Effective IA will help users to complete their goals and do so rapidly. The best UILand app architectures present information to the user in a logical flow. The logic helps designers to reduce the steps users must take to achieve their goals.

Comprehensive IAs prevent users from wasting time searching for content that doesn’t help them achieve their goals. The outcome of this is that the users can complete in-product tasks much more efficiently.

This efficiency is essential for great user experience; therefore, an efficient IA will significantly advance your UX designs.

3 – Improved focus on the user

Robust user research is crucial to developing solid information architecture. As a UX architect, you need to understand each segment of your user base to clarify the unique ways they interact with products.

A research-supported information architecture can potentially accommodate the navigational needs of different types of users. So, if you’re designing a mobile app or website to sell watches, you may begin with users who don’t often shop for shoes. You may implement categories based on the type of watch and strap.

For watch enthusiasts on the other hand, you may implement categories based on the search bar for users who know what filters to apply to find what they’re looking for. This is an example of IA and you can implement this using flows from UILand.